A temple, a bull, more delicious food

Today we visited the temple at the top of Chamundi Hill. It's a climb of 1000 steps or an easier ride by car or other vehicle.

At the top is a bazaar of sorts selling food, fruit, tat and things for offerings, and populated with pilgrims, dogs, cows and hawkers.

We leave our shoes and join the queue before being told we can pay 20rs to get in through a pay gate. Inside the temple people are making offerings and doing puja. We make a small offering and have a red smudge on our foreheads as a blessing.

Outside the hawkers mill around, I buy a sandalwood elephant for 100rs. This makes no difference, he carries on trying to sell us stuff. It's almost like autopilot!

We retrieve our shoes and set off down - 300 steps to the Nandi bull. Carved from solid granite in 1659, and 5m high, it is a sight. It is festooned in flowers from pilgrims.

Then back into the tuk tuk for more touristing.

We get taken to yet another retail opp and whilst pretty there are only so many papier mâché boxes a person can look at and still sound interested!

Next was the railway museum. In a very out of the way place are some old rolling stock and engines, very interesting indeed, especially the maharani's saloon which is all mahogany and beautifully fitted out. I liked this a lot, despite the very odd negotiation of broken road and earthworks to get there.

Then lunch, another thali, better than yesterday and much cheaper, 180rs, or £3

Back at the hotel it was already getting dark and the waiters were talking about rain, but it's only now that the thunder has started and the rains have just begun.

We ate dinner watching the lightning and listening to the gate-keeper play his shiva's flute, and feeling the air cool.

Tomorrow - Ooty...




Enjoying a thali

Location:Our suite